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{No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 1.

L. SELLNER.

. SIGNALING APPARATUS.

N0. 337,626. PatentedMar. 9', 1886.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 (Nb Modeh) L.SELLNER. SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 337,626. Pat e ated Mar. 9, 1886.

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3 t e e .h S P t e h S 3 R E N L L E S L a d 0 M 0 m SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

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ATENT 1 rates,

LEOPOLD SELLNER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

gPEQIE'ICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,626, dated March 9, 1886.

Application filed July 7, 1885. Serial No. 170,842.

(No model.) Patented in Franco December 5. 188 1, No. 165,768; in England December 8, 1884, 1\"o. 16,144; in Italy December ill, 1884, XXXVIII, 165,- in Austria-Hungary March 7, 1885, No, 38,770 and No. 11,357, and in Brazil June 20, 1885, No. 242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEOPOLD SELLNEResubject ofthe Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and a resident of the city of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Night- Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to electrical night-signaling apparatus, and has for its object to provide an apparatus by which signals may be given at night with greater rapidity than could be obtained heretofore and with absolute accuracy.

My apparatus consists of three essential partsviz., first, the source of electricity or generator, which may be either a primary or a secondary battery or accumulator or a dynamo or magneto electric machine; second, a system of contact-makers or switches so constructed that upon shifting one of the same by means of a key or handle a definite combination of signaling electric lamps will be thrown into circuit, and therebya definite signal will be 'iven; and, third, a series of electric lamps, preferably -incandescent lamps, placed on a signal-mast or in the rigging of a vessel or in any other suitable position.

The lamps, as well as the electric generator, may he of any construction, and need not be described, as they form no part of the present invention, which reposes entirely upon the arrangement of the circuits and on the special construction of the switches and contact-makers.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagram showing the arrangement of the circuits. Fig. 2 is an elevation of part of the stationary part of one switch. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the corresponding part of the slide or movable part of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a part of the complete switch, showing the slide of the same in the two positions it is capable of assuming. Fig. 5 is a diagram of an arrangement of contacts and circuits for signaling. Fig. 6 is a view of the fixed part of a modified form of switch, and Fig. 7 is a face view of the corresponding movable part.

The switch apparatus consists of the table handles or keys is connected with a slide, S, of

ebonite or other insulating material, sliding lengthwise in guides and carrying two parallel strips, Z Z, of metal, occupying the entire length of the slide, to which are secured contact-makers or springs f f f* in the same height respectively, Fig. 4. Opposite to the said slides there are partitions P of insulating material carrying contactblocksPZ"Z 1, the contact-blocks Z Z being directly opposite to the metal strip Z upon the slide S, and the contact-blocks Z' Z being directly opposite to the metal strip Z upon the slide S. The blocks Z Z are of equal length and in the same height; but the blocks Z Z are not in the same horizontal line, as is shown in Fig. 2. The contactblock Z is connected with one terminal of the signaling-lamp L, the other terminal of which is connected with the negative or return main conductor I, leading to the negative terminal of the generator-or source of electricity. The contact-block Z is-conuected with one terminal of the rheostat It, the resistance of which is equal to that of the lamp L, and the other terminal of which is connected with the main conductor I. The contact-blocks Z and Z are connected with the positive main conductor I, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Now, when the slide S is in its normal position or home, as shown on the left side of Fig. 4, the contact-springs ffbear upon the contact-blocks Z Z*, respectively, establishing a circuit through the rheostat R and cutting out the lamp L, because the spring f is then not. i

in contact with the contact-block Z so that no signal is given; but when itis desired tolight the lamp L in order to give a definite signal, it is only necessary to raise the slide S to the position shown on the right side of Fig. 4, so as to bring the spring f into contact with the contact-block Z whereupon a circuit is completed through the lamp L, which is thus lighted to give the required signal, and the rheostat R is thrown out of circuit on account of the spring f having come off the contactblock Z The signal having been given and ICO duly received the slide S is shifted back or home either by hand or automatically by a spring or equivalent device.

It is obvious that the partition P may be provided with more than one set of contactblocks, Z Z Z Z, arranged and connected in the manner described, and the slide S may be provided with a corresponding number of sets of contact-springs,f f f f", as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in which two sets of contacts are illustrated in one switch, so that by lifting the slide a number of lamps equal to the number of separate sets of contact-blocl s upon the corresponding partition may be lighted at once, but as each slide Sis capable of giving only one.signal, there must be as many separate slides as there are distinct combinations of lamps employed in the adopt ed signaling-code.

The signal itself consists of a combination of lamps lighted simultaneously, and is defined by the color of the lamps shown, or by their position relatively to each other, or by both.

I prefer to mark the signal given by each individual slide on the handle or key for actuating the same.

The arrangement of the circuits is indicated in the diagram Fig. 1, and clearly shown in the diagram Fig. 5.

From the main conductor I branch off the wires (0 a", the former being connected with the contact-blocks Z and the latter with the contact-blocks Z. It is, however, immaterial how the wires c a are arranged, it being only necessary that the coi'itact-blocks Z" Z are connected with the positive main conductor, so that one wire connecting all the contacts Z and Z to the main conductor I might obviously also serve the purpose. Each of the contactblocks Z is connected to the lamp L which it is designed for by means of a wire, a", the other terminal of the lamp being connected with the ncgative main conductor I, as already described, and the contact-blocks l, situated in the same horizontal line,are connected with each other and with one terminal of the rheostat It, the resistance of which is equal to that of one of the lamps L, by means of wires a, the other terminal of said rheost'atbeing connected with the negative main conductor I. The number of rheostats is therefore equal to the maximum number ot'sets of contactblocks Z Z Z Z upon the partitions P, and conse quently equal to the maximum number of lamps shown simultaneously, to give a definite signal, and is independent of the total number of lamps employed.

From the diagram Fig. 5 it will be seen that when all the slides S are down or home no lamps are lighted or shown, because all the contact-bloclts Z" of the partitions P are connected with their corresponding contact-blocks Z by means of the springs of the slides S, and consequently the lamps are out of circuit and the rheostats are thrown into circuit; but on raising one of the said slides S-say that marked 4, Fig. 5-the rheost-ats connected with the contact'blocks Z" of the correspond ing partition P will be thrown out of circuit and the lamps connected with the contactblocks Z of the same partition are thrown into circuit. so that the signal for which the slide S is designed, and which is marked upon the same, will be shownywhile the remainder of rheostats and lamps, and also the intensity of the electrical current,remain unaffected by the movement of the slide S".

It is obvious that the total number and nature, color, &c., of the lamps, the maximum number ot'lamps shown simultaneously, and the number of different elementary signals (each consisting of a distinct combination of lamps shown simultaneously, and each requiring a separate slid S, and partition I) will depend on the signaling code adopted, and may be varied without departing from the substance of my invention.

I am aware that it is not new to provide incandescent lamps with branch circuits, resist-- ances, and switches; butso tar as I am aware these have been only for lighting purposes where the switch for each lamp has been at the same point as the lamp itself. Such a construction could not be used for signaling purposes, as in my invention, where the switchesare all together at a station and the lamps at a distant point or points. Therefore I claim as my invention- The hereindescrihed night-signaling appa' ratus, consisting of a switch-board carrying contact-blocks and switches at a station, and a series of electric signalinglamps at a distant point or points, with intermediateconductors and resistances in branch circuits, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

L EOPOLD SELLNER.

XVitnesscs:

G. 0. PAGET, E. G. F. MoELLnn. 

